


Seasons in the Sun

by DragonsPhoenix



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Eventual Romance, F/M, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26535196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonsPhoenix/pseuds/DragonsPhoenix
Summary: I just wanted to give Jiang Cheng a girlfriend. The story sort of exploded out from there.
Relationships: Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín / Cordelia Chase, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Kudos: 11





	1. Why Are You Even Here When You Don’t Want To Be?

**Author's Note:**

> [othercat2](https://othercat2.tumblr.com/) had the idea of putting Wen Ning into Sunnydale. I needed something to keep my mind occupied at work and ran with it. This is set after that story (and that story hasn't been written yet).

Jiang Cheng spent the better part of the afternoon searching for Wei Wuxian. Knowing his brother would be drawn by the allure of food, trinkets, and pretty girls – or more likely the allure of liquor a more sarcastic part of himself thought – Jiang Cheng started with the market docks. Everyone had seen Wei Wuxian, of course, but nobody knew where he’d gone. Some of the younger women, barely more than girls, had giggled and started debating who was prettier, Wei Wuxian or his husband Lan Wangji. Jiang Cheng regretted snapping at them. It was beneath the dignity of a Sect Leader to be annoyed by the antics of his older brother. Besides, Wei Wuxian’d always had that effect. He charmed people without even knowing it. “I was just being friendly,” he’d once told Jiang Cheng. “Everyone’s so nice. Why shouldn’t I be nice in return?” 

Turning his back to the docks, Jiang Cheng’s footsteps took him to the long road out of town. His thoughts turned back to his childhood, to the sound of his three dogs yipping from their cage. He’d held onto the cart, screaming, until his father had wrenched his hands off the wood. He’d reached his arms out, calling for his dogs, as his father had carried him back to his rooms. His mother had yelled at him for the outburst. She hadn’t yet started blaming Wei Wuxian for everything. Jiang Cheng shook his head even though it didn’t drive away the memories. Stupid. The dogs were grown and dead by now, and as Sect Leader he could have as many dogs as he wanted except if he had even one dog, his brother might never visit again. 

Wei Wuxian wasn’t in his room. Well, he wouldn’t be. He wasn’t one for seclusion. On Wei Wuxian’s third visit, Jiang Cheng had assigned him a permanent room in the family quarters. His sister would have expected Wei Wuxian to put into family quarters on his first visit, but then she would have expected their brother to visit. Wei Wuxian had never commented on the change. Had he even noticed?

Leaving Lotus Pier behind, Jiang Cheng walked to the cliffs where they’d learned archery and recalled the day Wei Wuxian had hit the kite he’d missed in an archery contest. All the young disciples had cheered and Jiang Cheng had been proud to have such a skilled brother. 

He walked along the shore and found Yanli’s favorite swimming hole. On Wei Wuxian’s third day at Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng and Yanli, who’d lived in the water as children, had shot straight in. Wei Wuxian, never one to be left behind, had splashed in after them. Their father, calling the boy back, had drilled him in water safety and he and Yanli had watched with mouths open, astonished that their new brother didn’t know how to swim. 

Moving out into nature, further from Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng passed the tree Wei Wuxian had hidden in his first night with them, where he’d dropped his shoes, and where Jiang Cheng had cried because he thought he’d lost his new brother. Yanli had cooked for them after they’d returned to Lotus Pier. It was probably the first time Wei Wuxian’d ever had lotus soup. 

When Jiang Cheng finally found him, Wei Wuxian, dressed in his ever-present black with a red ribbon tying his long black hair up into a messy bun, was squatting by a small pool, poking a stick into the water. “Why am I not surprised to find you stirring up mud?” 

Wei Wuxian looked up with a wide grin. Jiang Cheng blinked back his surprise. How could the man look so happy when he didn’t want to be here?

“Jiang Cheng, there was a toad, but now I can’t find it.”

“It was probably scared off by your ugly face.” Jiang Cheng scowled at his own words. He’d meant to be nice. “Are you joining me for dinner or not?” 

“Is it that late?” 

It hadn’t been when Jiang Cheng had started looking for him. “Almost.” 

Wei Wuxian tossed the stick away as he rose to his feet. “Okay.” 

Jiang Cheng started walking back, only rolling his eyes when his back was turned to his brother. He shouldn’t have gone looking for Wei Wuxian. He’d bet a thousand pieces of gold that Lan fucking Wangji never had to hunt him down for dinner. 

Wei Wuxian caught up and draped an arm across Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. “Do you think there’ll be lotus soup? I’ve missed it in Gusu.” 

Of course they’d serve lotus soup. Did Wei Wuxian think his own brother had forgotten his favorite dishes? Jiang Cheng shrugged but not enough to disturb the arm draped over his shoulder. “How would I know?” 

They ate informally, out in the open, where the outermost edge of Lotus Pier opened to the lake. Out past the far edge of the water, the sun, hanging low in the sky, was surrounded by a scattering of clouds that edged from pink to purple. The wood beneath them didn’t rock so much as gently float upon the water. 

The lotus soup wasn’t as good as Yanli’s. Nothing was as good as it had been. Their old dishes had been smashed when the Wen had invaded. The new set wasn’t bad but it wasn’t what he’d grown up with. Nothing was the same as it had been and Jiang Cheng sometimes thought nothing would be that good again. 

Wei Wuxian ate half a bowl before looking up with a grin. “I’ve missed lotus soup.” He said it as if he wouldn’t say those exact same words every day of his visit. 

“I thought Lan Wangji built you a lotus pond at Could Recesses.” When Wei Wuxian had first crowed about the pond, Jiang Cheng had said that Lan Wangji was just like Jin Zixuan who’d built a lotus pond for Yanli. That visit had ended abruptly. 

“Well, yes,” Wei Wuxian said with a shrug. “But no one there knows how to cook lotus soup.” 

At least he missed something about Lotus Pier. Jiang Cheng dipped his spoon into the soup. Concentrate, he told himself. Focus. If you stay in the moment, you won’t give way to anger. “What did you do all day?” 

“While you were busy being Sect Leader?” Wei Wuxian asked. “Nothing much.” 

What? Because there was nothing worth doing at Lotus Pier? 

After a moment, Wei Wuxian continued, his words filling the silence between them. “I went to the docks, to the market. I tried some xiao longboa. It’s not as good as old man Chu’s. Do you remember?” 

“Do you think my memory’s as bad as yours? Of course I do. I remember when you stuffed yourself sick and kept me up half the night with your retching.” Wei Wuxian grinned as if pleased by the memory and Jiang Cheng found himself grinning back. “You should have tried the yang rou chuan. It’s better than it used to be.” 

“I did. They’re so good that I want to take the chef back with me to Gusu so he can cook for me.” 

Jiang Cheng dropped his spoon to the table. “Is that why you’re here? To steal my people?” 

“It’s just one street cook. Besides, he says the girls are prettier here so I doubt I’ll see him in Gusu anytime soon.” 

Why are you here? Wei Wuxian had visited three times in two months before Jiang Cheng had asked. “Why is Lan Wangji suddenly dumping you on me? Is he tired of you already?” Wei Wuxian had laughed and ignored the question. On the fourth visit, when he’d asked, “Do you want to see me or are you here because he kicked you out?” Wei Wuxian had merely shrugged. It wasn’t until the fifth visit that Jiang Cheng had gotten a response although being told to ask Wei Wuxian’s husband hadn’t really answered his question. 

After five months worth of visits, Jiang Cheng had addressed his question to Lan Wangji but the answer hadn’t told him anything. “Brothers should spend time together.” That and “You should be nicer to Wei Wuxian.” as if Jiang Cheng didn’t know how to treat his own brother. He’d started thinking that those months in demonic cultivation land had broken Lan Wangji. Funny that nobody else had noticed, or maybe not. Lan Wangji was as quiet as he’d ever been. Maybe nobody’d spoken to him long enough to realize he’d been driven mad in that – what had they called it? – alternate realm. 

“Does Lan Wangji seem different to you?” 

Wei Wuxian looked up from his fish. “What do you mean?” 

“Before you two got lost in that demonic cultivation land …”

“It’s called Sunnydale,” Wei WiXian said helpfully. “And we didn’t get lost. We went to help Wen Ning and the Mistress of Blades and Garlic.” 

Jiang Cheng waved the interruption away. “Before that time, he never let you come visit. I mean, you never came to Lotus Pier.” 

“Lan Zhan doesn’t let me do anything. I do what I want.” 

“He’s the one who wants you here.” 

“I don’t not want to be here,” Wei Wuxian said. 

That wasn’t exactly comforting. “But Lan Wangji suggested these visits, didn’t he? They only started after you’d visited that place. You have to see that he’s changed.”

“It’s still called Sunnydale.” 

“That’s not even a real word. What’s wrong with Lan Wangji? What aren’t you telling the rest of us?” 

“There’s nothing wrong with Lan Wangji.” Wei Wuxian rose, paced to the edge of the pier, put his hands on the railing, and stared out at the darkening sky. “In Sunnydale, we didn’t speak the language. This very nice auntie translated for us. I think her family used to own Wen Ning’s restaurant? Anyway, she introduced me to something called daytime tv. Jiang Cheng, it was fascinating! A whole play appearing in a small box.”

Jiang Cheng rose to join his brother by the railing. “You’ve spoken of it. Tell me what’s wrong with Lan Wangji. Why does he keep sending you here?” 

“Nothing’s wrong. I was telling you. So, on daytime tv the auntie watched what are called self-help shows. You should have seen it. So many people with so many interesting problems.”

“Let’s get back to …”

Wei Wuxian waved off the interruption. “Fine. Fine. I learned that families who don’t communicate tend to let old hurts fester and that they need to get together and talk things out. I told Lan Wangji about it and he suggested I visit.”

None of that made any sense. “Old hurts?” 

“You know. Things.”

“What things?”

“Just things that people get upset about but don’t mention.”

“Wei Wuxian.” 

“All right, all right.” He turned his head away. “Like when you let Yanli onto the battlefield. You could have sent her away, sent her someplace safe.”

Zidian cracked purple sparks on Jiang Cheng’s wrist. “You think it’s my fault she died? I didn’t let her do anything. You know what she was like. How was I supposed to stop her? Even if I could have, there were no safe places. Cloud Recesses had been burnt to the ground, Lotus Pier destroyed. Where should I have sent her?” 

“Did you even try? Lanling wasn’t destroyed. She would have been safe there.” Wei Wuxian deflated before his eyes and slumped across the railing. “Even if you could have sent her away, she would have returned. I know that. It’s just … I miss her. I miss her so much.” 

It was Jiang Cheng’s time to turn his head away. “I miss her too.” 

They stood there in an uncomfortable silence. Jiang Cheng wanted to hit something, preferably not his idiot brother. “This is supposed to make things better?”

“That’s the theory.” 

Fuck theory. “There are reports of an unusual creature near Ranwan Village. Want to come on a Night Hunt?” 

“Hell, yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistress of Blades and Garlic: that would be Buffy. Many thanks to [The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi fandom community](https://theuntamed-mdzs.dreamwidth.org/47369.html?view=161033&posted=1#cmt161033) for helping me with Buffy's title.


	2. Night Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9 chi is about 10 feet.

If they had flown, they would have missed the village in the dark. The air had currents of its own but they were more changeable than the currents of water. Jiang Cheng had grown up on this river. He didn’t need to see to steer his path. 

As they stepped onto the dock, Jiang Cheng drew his sword. The moonlight allowed him to see Chenqing in his brother’s hand. He knew how deadly Wei Wuxian could be with the flute, but found himself wishing his brother could still wield a sword. 

Without a word spoken between them, Jiang Cheng led the way knowing his brother would remain about nine chi behind. Creatures – the dead animated by resentful energy – were stupid. Seeing Jiang Cheng, they would attack. They didn’t have the brains to think his back might be guarded. 

As they walked through the village, Jiang Cheng’s fist tightened around his sword’s hilt. There were no signs of an attack. The streets were pristine, the buildings free of gaping holes, and the area devoid of body parts and gore. There were also no signs of life. No lights lit the streets, no voices filled the air, and no innkeepers came out to offer them lodgings. 

When they found the headman’s house, Jiang Cheng pounded on the door. It opened more quickly than he’d expected. “Quiet, you idiot! What do you think you’re doing making such a racket?” As the man recognized him, his eyes widened but instead of bowing to show his regret – and awareness of his imminent demise – he gestured for Jiang Cheng to enter his home. “Come in, come in. Quickly.” 

Wei Wuxian darted in after Jiang Cheng. The headman shut the door quietly, making sure it was locked before turning back to his guests. 

“What do you mean by treating us so rudely?” 

The man looked almost comical, bowing but trying to shush them at the same time. Wei Wuxian did laugh. “Please,” the man said, “no noise. You’ll call it down on us.” 

Jiang Cheng scoffed. “That’s why we’re here. To find the creature and kill it.” 

“Please,” Wei Wuxian said with an unexpected show of diplomacy. “We’re here to help. What creature?”

The man glanced about fearfully as if expecting an attack at any moment. “It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen. Homes toppled. Bodies torn to shreds, unrecognizable. The violence of the attacks …” He shuddered. 

“Have you seen this creature? Wei Wuxian asked. “What does it look like?”

“No,” the headman replied. “To see it is to die.” 

The brothers exchanged a glance. This level of fear, even from a non-cultivator, was unusual. “Where can we find it?” Jiang Cheng asked. 

“Take the north road. It will find you.” 

The moon provided enough light that they could follow the road. They picked up the pace at the sound of a familiar grunting. “Ha,” Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Nothing more than a fierce corpse. The headman’s just a superstitious fool.” He didn’t believe it. The whole village had been dark. One fierce corpse wasn’t enough to cause that level of fear. 

The garden in front of the small farmhouse was spattered with blood are gore. Even the chickens – Jiang Cheng identified them by the scattered feathers – and what had probably been a small goat had been torn to shreds. After he noticed a toy doll reddened with gore, Jiang Cheng stopped trying to identify pieces. The fierce corpse’s grunts, coming from behind the house, grew louder but weren’t followed by an attack. Jiang Cheng caught Wei Wuxian’s eyes and nodded. His brother stepped forward, flute to his lips, ready to control anything that might attack, as they walked to the side of the farmhouse. 

The fierce corpse’s legs were trapped up to the knees in something sickly greenish-yellow. The man’s death must have been terrible to have revived a corpse with no arms and a gaping hole in its chest. Jiang Cheng saw an axe on the ground near the fierce corpse. The man must have been trying to save his family. Yes, that failure, knowing his family was about to be killed, would have been enough to bring even so hacked up a man back as a fierce corpse. Jiang Cheng cut its head off, offering a prayer that the man be reunited with his family in a happier life, before squatting down to examine what had trapped his legs. He tapped at the substance. It was as hard as stone. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“I have.” Jiang Cheng looked up sharply. Wei Wuxian sounded afraid but that was stupid. Wei Wuxian was never afraid. “In Sunnydale. There’s a demon called Fyarl. They’re aggressive. Fast.” He nodded at the substance that had trapped the fierce corpse. “Their snot congeals to trap their prey.” 

“Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng shouted. “You let me touch it? Ugh. I can’t believe you.” Then he caught up to what his brother had said. “Demon?” His tongue tripped over the foreign word. “You told me Chenqing doesn’t work against creatures from demonic cultivation land.” 

Wei Wuxian glanced down at his flute. “Chenqing controls the dead. These creatures aren’t dead.” 

“So you’ll be useless against it. Great.”

Wei Wuxian pulled out a small knife. “They can only be killed by silver.”

Jiang Cheng gestured at the gore splattered courtyard. “That’s our only weapon against whatever did this?” 

“I think Zubian will slow it down.” 

Jiang Cheng glared at his brother. “Perfect. Any ideas how to find this creature?” 

“As the headman said, it will find us.”

They didn’t have to wait long. A warning growl sounded just before the creature charged from the woods. Jiang Cheng swung Sandu. What should have been a good, clean strike barely sank in. He had to pull sharply to get the sword out of the creature’s side. The creature turned on him, breathed in, and snot flew towards the ground. Jiang Cheng had barely enough time to jump on his sword and fly above the creature before the snot hit with a heavy thump. The creature turned, searching for its prey, and spotted Wei Wuxian. As it charged, Jiang Cheng leaped to the ground and struck it from behind with Zidian. The creature froze, jerking in place as the purple lighting hit it. Wei Wuxian jabbed his small knife into the creature’s abdomen. “Go for its heart, you idiot,” Jiang Cheng shouted just before the creature fell. 

The creature didn’t move. “Is it dead?” Jiang Cheng asked. 

Wei Wuxian nodded. “Its heart is here,” he said, patting at his own abdomen. 

Jiang Cheng nudged the creature with his sword. “I thought you said these things vanished when killed.” 

“That’s vampires. This is a Fyarl. Completely different creatures.” 

Jiang Cheng snorted. “As if I know the difference between demonic cultivation creatures. Could there be more hiding in the woods?” 

“No,” Wei Wuxian replied. “They’re aggressive. If there’d been more nearby, they wouldn’t have stayed out of the fight.” 

Jiang Cheng didn’t want to even think about taking on a pack of those things. “We should get back, tell the headman his village is safe.” 

“You go back,” Wei Wuxian said. “There’s something I need to look into.” 

Jiang Cheng’s eyes narrowed. “What? What do you need to look into? I’m not going back without you. Lan Wangji will kill me if something happens to you.” 

“Jiang Cheng, so dramatic. He will not.” 

“He will,” Jiang Cheng insisted. “He told me so. Alright, not in so many words, maybe it was more a flick of an eyebrow, but he made himself clear.” 

“You go back,” Wei Wuxian said. “I’ll be along soon. Just make sure to tell Lan Wangji about the Fyarl.” 

“Why can’t you tell him? What are you going to look into? What aren’t you telling me?” 

“It’s nothing,” Wei Wuxian insisted. “It’s just, well, the Fyarl must have gotten here somehow. That means a portal. We can’t leave it open. If it’s not shut down, more demons might come through.” 

“I’m coming with you.”

“Jiang Cheng,” he whined.

“Wei Wuxian.” Even though Jiang Cheng most certainly didn’t shout, his words had their intended effect. 

“Fine,” Wei Wuxian mumbled. “Let’s go.” He pulled out a blank sheet of paper and drew a talisman in his own blood.

“What’s that?” 

“To find the portal,” Wei Wuxian replied. 

It was the oddest talisman Jiang Cheng had ever seen, so strange only his brother could have come up with it. The talisman changed color, darkening to blue as they moved away from the portal and brightening to red as the moved closer. When they found the portal, Jiang Cheng eyed it warily. It looked unnatural, like a tear in the world. 

“There’s just one thing I have to do before closing the portal,” Wek Wuxian said. 

“What’s that?” Jiang Cheng didn’t expect his brother to shove him to the ground. He also didn’t expect Wei Wuxian to leap through the portal but wasn’t surprised. “What do you think you’re doing, you idiot?” Jiang Cheng whipped Zidian forward. It lashed around Wei Wuxian’s leg. He yanked with all his might but couldn’t pull his brother back. Holding tightly onto Zidian, he allowed himself to be dragged forward, straight into the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wei Wuxian sounds afraid because a portal means someone created it. He's concerned this could be an attack on their dimension.


	3. Demonic Cultivation Land

As he fell into the portal, Jiang Cheng was hit by a shock of cold deeper than any he’d ever known. He shouted his brother’s name but nothing disturbed that deep silence. Wei Wuxian vanished before him. Jiang Cheng could only hold onto Zidian and hope the other end was wrapped around his brother’s ankle. And then he was through the portal and landing on a sharp elbow.

“Ow, Jiang Cheng, get off. When did you get so heavy?” As Jiang Cheng scrambled to his feet, Wei Wuxian rubbed the ankle that still had Zidian wrapped around it. “What’d you do that for? You could have been killed.” 

Jiang Cheng called Zidian back to his wrist. “I could have been killed? What if I hadn’t held back Zidian’s lightning?”

“Well, you did,” Wei Wuxian said. “I’m fine.” He gestured at the portal. “You should go back now.”

“I told you I’m not leaving your side.” Wei Wuxian still hadn’t moved from the ground but before Jiang Cheng could wonder why, he was struck by a stench, not the decay of a decomposing creature but something harsher, less organic. “Ugh, what is that stink? Is this what creatures smell like in demonic cultivation land?” He glanced around the small alley. The portal glowed faintly, giving him just enough light to see by. They seemed to be alone. 

Wei Wuxian shrugged. “No, the stink normal for this place. The smell comes mostly from their … well they have vehicles sort of like our carriages. You’ll get used to it. Unless you want to go home?” 

“What about you? Why aren’t you going home?”

“Jiang Cheng,” he whined. “Don’t be mean to me.” When Jiang Cheng glared in response, Wei Wuxian answered more seriously. “If there’s a portal, someone created it. This might be my only chance to learn who.”

“So you were planning to jump through the portal and leave me behind? Look at you. You’re not even standing yet. What’s wrong?” Had Zidian broken his brother? No, it couldn’t have. He’d held back the lightning. Even if Zidian had, it was Wei Wuxian’s fault. He shouldn’t have tried to go off on his own. 

“There’s no resentful energy here for me to draw on. Closing the portal drained me.” 

“People here don’t feel resentment?” That Jiang Cheng didn’t believe. “Are you telling me everyone’s an angel in demonic cultivation land?” 

“No,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Things work differently here. Resentful energy doesn’t flow here the way it does back home. Instead of raising fierce corpses, it stays in the body.” 

“People here have dark energy trapped in their bodies? No wonder you call it demonic cultivation land.” 

“I don’t call it demonic cultivation land. And nobody here’s overwhelmed by dark energies. Resentful energy isn’t a power here like it is back home.” 

None of that made sense but Jiang Cheng chose not to pursue it. If they were going to stay in demonic cultivation land, he didn’t want Wei Wuxian distracted by theory. They’d need to focus to stay alive. 

Jiang Cheng reached a hand out to help his brother up. “Come on.” Once Wei Wuxian was back on his feet, he leaned heavily on Jiang Cheng. “How were you even planning to defend yourself?” 

“I didn’t think it’d be this bad.”

They walked out of the alley to a street and sat on a bench. The lights were brighter than any candle but didn’t flicker which was a bit unnerving. The buildings, three or four stories high, were ugly, just boxes with flat roofs. “Where are we?” 

“I’m not sure. This isn’t Sunnydale.”

“So we’re lost.”

“No,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed. “Well, not exactly.” 

Before Jiang Cheng had time to ask what that meant, a pair of those unnatural lights came racing towards them. The stench grew more terrible as the creature rushed past them with a loud roar, too fast to be seen clearly but Jiang Cheng gasped at the sight of people trapped inside the creature’s gut. Leaping onto his sword, he flew after. He had no idea where such a creature might be vulnerable but based on its direction, guessed where its head would be. Dropping down into the creature, he cut his sword straight down. As the creature veered off, shooting sparks, he had to jump back onto his sword. He must have harmed the creature more than he’d realized for it ran into a building and the openings where he could see into it shattered into a thousand shards. He reached inside. “Quickly, give me your hands.” The people inside screamed and shrank away. Wei Wuxian grabbed his arm as if to draw him back. “What are you doing? We have to help them.”

“That wasn’t a creature,” Wei Wuxian said. “You destroyed their …” He spoke a foreign word. “It’s like a wagon or carriage.”

“Carriage? But there was nothing pulling it.” 

Jiang Cheng startled as a high-pitched sound, almost like a wail, cried out in the distance. “Come on,” Wei Wuxian said. “If we’re caught here, there’ll be trouble.” 

They ran down the street and darted through a few dark alleys until Wei Wuxian stopped and fell against a wall. “How long are you going to be like this?” Jiang Cheng demanded.

“I just need to rest.”

“Rest? In this place?” 

Someone spoke from behind them. Jiang Cheng spun to face them. He should have been paying more attention. Who knew what creatures might attack in this place. He put his hand to Sandu but didn’t draw it. The alley was too narrow for sword work. 

Three men stepped out of the shadows. They looked human but their faces were strange, deformed. Perhaps this was normal for demonic cultivation land? “Sirs,” Jiang Cheng said, “we are new to your realm and …”

“They’re creatures,” Wei Wuxian shouted. “Kill them.” 

Jiang Cheng lashed out with Zidian, releasing the purple lightning, hitting all three creatures with one whip stroke. They vanished. “Where’d they go?” 

“You killed them.” Wei Wuxian sounded awed. 

“What? That wasn’t enough to kill. I might have stunned them but …”

“Oh, oh, Jiang Cheng, those bodies were possessed. Those demons took over unwilling human hosts.”

“So when Sandu struck them,” Jiang Cheng said slowly, “it forced the spirits from their bodies.” 

“And since the people were already dead,” Wei Wuxian continued, “it killed the hosts.” 

“Why did they vanish? Where are the corpses?” 

“These vanish when you kill them.”

“Oh.” He thought back to their earlier conversation. “Vampires.” 

“Exactly.” Wei Wuxian grinned as if he thought this was fun. 

“Is anything else going to attack?” 

“I don’t know,” Wei Wuxian replied. “We need to get off the street. Fly me on your sword.” 

Wei Wuxian leaned on him heavily and the sword wobbled a few times before Jiang Cheng got the hang of holding up his brother and flying. Wei Wuxian pointed out a set of buildings that towered over the rest of the town. “Take me there. Land on any one of those. That should hide us for a bit.”

Jiang Cheng didn’t ask what would happen once the towers no longer hid them. He picked a tower which seemed to have the most objects – smaller buildings? Storage areas? – on its roof figuring the clutter might help them hide. When they dropped onto the roof, Wei Wuxian fell against a wall. It made a loud, hollow sound and Wei Wuxian quickly dropped to a seated position. “Hope no one heard that.” 

When he pulled out a blank piece of paper, Jiang Cheng grabbed it away. “What do you think you’re doing? You’re too weak. You can’t make a talisman.” 

“I have to call for help. We can’t stay here.” 

Fucking Wei Wuxian, always looking so calm while attempting the impossible. “If you kill yourself, I’ll bring you back to life so I can kill you again.” 

“Deal,” Wei Wuxian replied calmly. Well, why not? He’d already died once. His brother bit into his own finger and drew the talisman out in blood. It flew off, vanishing into the darkness. 

Jiang Cheng stared up at the sky. “Is it ever light here?” There was something wrong with his question. It was light, or lighter than it should be at night. He should be able to see more stars. He just wanted to know if the sun would ever rise. 

When he didn’t receive a reply, Jiang Cheng looked down at this brother. Wei Wuxian lay crumpled against the wall. Jiang Cheng found his pulse, slow and steady. He stood guard, not needing to strain to see in this night that wasn’t as dark as it should be, and waited for the next attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist having Jiang Cheng thinking a car was a creature. One of my crackfic elements. 
> 
> The roof they land on has building fans and stairwells and stuff.


	4. Ghost General

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still trapped in demonic cultivation land - Los Angeles that is - Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian find help.

Nothing attacked as the night wore on. Jiang Cheng stood as the sky started to brighten and watched the sun rise over the horizon. So the sun did rise here. In that, at least, this place was like home. Wei Wuxian’s eyes fluttered open. Had the light woken him? Jiang Cheng dropped to his side. He still looked like shit. “Look at you,” Jiang Cheng scoffed, “rising with the sun. I knew living in Gusu had corrupted you.” 

Wei Wuxian’s grin only highlighted his exhaustion. “My talisman,” he said as he sat up. “Was there a response?” 

“Nothing that I noticed.” 

“I should send another,” Wei Wuxian said although he didn’t pull out another sheet of paper. 

“No! That last talisman took too much out of you.” 

“Jiang Cheng, you worry too much. I’m fine.” 

A heavy thump came from behind him, the sound of something landing on the roof. Expecting the attack he’d been fearing all night, Jiang Cheng drew his sword as he turned only to find himself facing Wen Ning, the Ghost General. 

Jiang Cheng sheathed his sword as Wei Wuxian rose on shaky legs. “Wen Ning, you came.” 

The man bowed but looked worried. “You are injured.” 

Wei Wuxian waved the concern away. “It’s nothing.” 

“It’s not nothing,” Jiang Cheng said but neither seemed to hear him. As Wei Wuxian explained about the portal, Jiang Cheng took a long look at Wen Ning. He still felt a shock at seeing a fierce corpse who could think and speak. The black veins crawling up Wen Ning’s neck didn’t help. He wore no robes but above black trousers he wore a black shirt with a vibrant image, red and gold, of a clawed creature. Jiang Cheng’s hand clenched the hilt of his sword. Had demonic cultivation land corrupted Wen Ning that he would casually wear such an image or was it a sign that he’d defeated the creature? 

“You believe someone opened this portal deliberately?” WenNing asked. 

Jiang Cheng watched as Wei Wuxian brushed a finger across his nose. He didn’t seem concerned by the image of a creature on Wen Ning’s clothes. “They did last time,” Wei Wuxian said. “And even if it’s just kids messing around, it has to be stopped.” Jiang Cheng shuddered at the thought of living in a world where children casually opened portals. 

“I will help,” Wen Ning said. He glanced up at the brightening sky. “We should not stay here. Will you come to my offices?” 

“There may be officials searching for us.” Jiang Cheng felt relieved that Wei Wuxian didn’t mention the wagon he’d attacked. 

Wen Ning nodded as if that were only to be expected. Pulling a cloak out of a Qiankun bag he said, “I have only the one.” 

“Give it to Jiang Cheng. He needs to hide his sword.” 

“What? Why would I hide Sandu?” 

Wen Ning bowed as if apologizing. “Please do not take offense. Swords are illegal here. Carrying one will draw attention.” 

Jiang Cheng scowled but took the cloak. He fiddled with the clasp, two golden dragons that held the cloak together at his throat, and by the time time he’d fixed the clasp closed, his brother was leaning on Wen Ning. Not injured. Ha! 

Wen Ning tried to open a door that led into the building but it was locked. “I can fly Wei Wuxian on my sword,” Jiang Cheng offered.

“No,” Wen Ning said, “we’d be seen.” He pulled something from his Qiankun bag. It was long, about the length of his hand, but thin. He inserted it into the lock, fiddled it with for just a moment, and the door opened. Jiang Cheng stared at Wen Ning as the man half-carried Wei Wuxian into the building. He’d picked that lock! Had demonic cultivation land corrupted him? Was its pernicious energies corrupting Jiang Cheng even now? Nervously he followed the other two into the building. 

He found them approaching a set of large doors. Wen Ning pushed something round to one side. It started to glow. Jiang Cheng eyed it warily. The glow wasn’t natural. It had to be demonic. He jumped when the doors slid open untouched by human hand. The room behind the doors was small, barely large enough to be a closet. The other two entered but Jiang Cheng stood still, eying the small space, until the doors started to close. The doors hit him as he leaped in to join them, bounced open, and then closed again. 

He felt a strange sensation, almost like he was descending on his sword, but it felt as if the the whole room was falling. Neither Wen Ning nor Wei Wuxian looked concerned. When the doors slid open, he took a step back. The hallway they’d entered from had been replaced by a set of clear doors that led to a street. He quickly followed the other two out of the small room before the doors closed again and trapped him inside, but looked back over his shoulder as they slid closed. It must be some sort of portal. The thought was comforting. At least he’d found something familiar in this uncanny realm. 

The town was, if anything, uglier in the light of day. Buildings towered over them like unnatural cliffs. He wasn’t thrown off by their height, or not exactly. Lanling had buildings that reached as high, but here every building towered over them, penning them in. 

Wei Wuxian insisted he could walk without help but Wen Ning watched him like a hawk so Jiang Cheng knew his brother wasn’t as well of as he pretended. Wen Ning led the way so Jiang Cheng trailed behind to keep an eye on his brother. The streets were busy, as crowded as a market, but Jiang Cheng tried to avoid looking at the people. Many were fully covered in their odd clothing but some had bare arms or legs. How could they be so indecent? He couldn’t completely avoid seeing them. He had to look around just to avoid bumping into people. Not one of them smiled although none seemed to be in imminent danger. The road was full of demonic wagons. When he saw one, larger than the others, stopped at the side of the road, Jiang Cheng wanted to pull the people away from it. He didn’t care what Wei Wuxian had said, those wagons had to be demonic to move about on their own but the people got on and off with no obvious consequences. Still, Jiang Cheng was glad that Wen Ning had said they could walk to his offices. 

As they walked, the buildings grew shorter, to sizes more reasonable to Jiang Cheng’s eyes. The building that Wen Ning led them to was four stories tall but looked short and squat and as ugly as the rest of demonic cultivation land. Once inside they faced another set of those sliding doors that led to a portal. Jiang Cheng wanted to ask for stairs but could see that Wei Wuxian was barely holding himself up. If this demonic portal took some strain off his brother, then Jiang Cheng would endure it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wen Ning’s wearing a Wolverine t-shirt ‘cause he’s a big geek.


	5. Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bringing Cordelia in. We get some BtVS-ish banter.

Cordelia glanced at the office building and kept walking. Nothing was on fire or had exploded. Good, that meant she could grab a macchiato. Sure it was murder on her hips but a wake up call this god-awful early called for sustenance. The walk from the Wiltshire Normandie station had cleared her head a bit, not that she’d ever tell that to Mr. undead-so-he-never-needs-to-sleep. She was still pushing for him to move their office to Wiltshire so she didn’t have to even consider riding the bus. Of course if he’d done that to begin with, she’d have missed out on following the music with Doyle to one of the best concerts of her life. Granted it’d been Doyle who’d made the night so fantastic but she still thought BoA could give that Gaga chick a run for her money. Cordelia shook her head to derail that line of thought. It wasn’t like thinking of Doyle would bring him back. 

She stopped outside of Cafe Latte and stared at the darkened store. Damn it, what had she been thinking? She knew they didn’t open until eight. She walked the three blocks back to her boss’ building. From the far side of the street, as she waited for a couple of cars to drive past so she could cross, she took in the building. Five of the eight business signs were in Korean, one in Spanish, and the two owned by Mr. can’t-bother-to-buy-an-espresso-machine-for-the-office were in English. Wen Acupuncture and Herbs wasn’t too bad. At least it went straight to the point. Lamont Cranston Investigates, even with the subtitle Paranormal Specialists that she’d pushed for, was just too obscure especially since Lamont Cranston wasn’t even a real guy but a character in an old time radio show. Working for a total dork could be a real pain. 

The two flights of stairs seemed to get steeper every day. Sure she could have taken the elevator but these legs didn’t keep themselves in shape. She entered the office and found Nissa eating leftover pizza. “Shouldn’t at least some of our food poison you?” 

Nissa, busy stuffing a slice past her fangs, asked, “Where’s my latte?” 

Hello, Cordelia thought, do you see me drinking a tasty caramel macchiato? “You called before the crack of dawn. What makes you think I brought you a drink?” 

“Wasn’t my fault,” Nissa protested. “Wen Ning got Willow’s message and hightailed it out of here. Told me to call you.” 

“And why didn’t you go with? Isn’t that why you’re here? To learn to use your magic or spells or whatever against demons?” 

“Hey,” Nissa complained. 

Okay, the blue-skinned girl with fangs and cat ears had a point. “Fine, cat woman, against evil demons.” 

“They’re not cat ears,” Nissa said. “They’re my ears. They run in the family.” 

“Whatever. You still haven’t answered my question.” 

“I hadn’t had my coffee yet.”

“Really?” Cordelia kept her tone dry and unbelieving.

“We don’t call the Night Hunts for nothing,” Nissa replied as if she’d actually gone patrolling with Wen Ning. 

“We don’t call them Night Hunts. That’s from his dimension. And don’t think I didn’t notice you skive off last night to hit a rave. Doesn’t anyone at those things notice you’re not human?” 

“I was one of the more normal looking people there.” 

“And yet you were here when Wen Ning returned from patrolling. Why up so early?” 

“Hey, I’m not gonna bring some stranger back to my place.”

“So what’d you do with tall, dark, and presumably humanoid?” 

“Hightailed it out of here when Wen Ning showed up. That whole black veins creeping up his neck look really puts a damper on my social life.” 

“At least you’ve got a social life. I can’t recall the last time I had a date.” 

When the phone rang, Nissa practically teleported across the room to grab it first. “No,” Cordelia mouthed as Nissa said in a cheerful tone, “Lamont Cranston Investigates. How may we help you?” 

As Cordelia listened, Nissa’s wide grin showed all her pointy fangs. Great, the customer must have asked for the big boss man. “Oh, I’m sorry. Mr. Cranston is unavailable. He’s on the other side.” 

Cordelia dropped to the couch. This was why Nissa wasn’t allowed to answer the phone. 

“No, not the other side of the room.” Nissa rolled her eyes. “He’s passed beyond the veil into a better place. He’s late, joined the choir invisible, passed on, gone to see his maker.” The caller must have complained because she explained in more detail. “Mr. Cranston died during an investigation. Have you seen the movie Poltergeists? The dead can be really nasty. Anyway, having not noticed his demise, Mr. Cranston kept going and is still in business today almost a hundred years after his death. Isn’t that fantastic?” She stared at the receiver a moment and then dropped it back onto the phone. “Hung up on me. Can you believe that?” 

“I can’t believe you do that stupid dead parrot sketch every time.” Wen Ning had a lot to answer for when he’d introduced Nissa to Monty Python. “Could you not scare off potential clients? Some of us work for a living.”

Nissa laughed. “Wen Ning’s rich. He owns the whole building. He can afford to pay you.” 

“Yeah, but he told me I’ll have to start waitressing at The Lotus Garden if business doesn’t pick up. Waitressing. Me. As if. I’m obviously management material.” 

“Well, sure, but you don’t want to put Diego out of a job, do you? You wouldn’t do that to him while Kathryn’s pregnant with their third kid. Anyway, there’s no way Wen Ning would follow through on his threat.” 

“You think?” That was unexpectedly supportive. Sometimes Nissa could be okay. 

“What if you had a vision and passed out while carrying a tray of food? Think of the mess.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Speaking of food,” Nissa said, “I’m gonna head out and grab something. Maury’s should be opening soon.” 

“Wait,” Cordelia said before she could head out the door. “If Wen Ning’s gone out to deal with whatever, why are we even here?” 

“Didn’t I say? Someone tagged Willow. They’re here in LA and need help.”

“Why call Willow all the way in London? Why not call us directly?” 

Nissa shrugged. “Don’t know.” 

“So.” Cordelia drew out the word. “If they need help, they’re clients.” 

Nissa opened the door. “If they’re from Willow, they’re not clients. They’re not gonna pay.”

“Don’t spoil my fantasy with logic. And bring back bagels for our clients,” Cordelia called out.

Nissa shut the door but Cordelia could here her sing-song from the hallway. “They’re not clients.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wen Ning named his detective agency Lamont Cranston Investigates after The Shadow ‘cause he's just that kind of a geek.


	6. Not Clients

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost up to the Cordelia / Jiang Cheng meet cute. Almost.

Cordelia walked into the main offices of Lamont Cranston Investigates. Main offices sounded so much better than three rooms on the third floor of a rinky-dink office building. Glancing at the reception area, she took in the scattered pizza boxes, the cans of Pepsi, and the crumpled napkins. The room was a mess. Two of the couch cushions had that crushed by writhing bodies look and the third had been tossed across the room. At least she didn’t see any clothes strewn about. Maybe Nissa’d actually made it to the back room before undressing her latest Romeo. Or Juliet. Whichever. 

No wonder Nissa’d hightailed it out to buy bagels. Obviously they couldn’t let potential clients see this disaster area. She’d skived off to get out of cleaning up. It was almost enough to make Cordelia wish Wen Ning wasn’t bringing clients back with him. Almost. 

She started by picking up the cushions to plump them, checking carefully to make sure they weren’t hiding clothes or condoms or whatever. Better to look now than be surprised once the clients were here. After cleaning the reception area slash kitchenette, Cordelia checked Wen Ning’s office. As far as she could tell, the desk, chairs, filing cabinets, and weapons hadn’t been disturbed. 

Having made the rest of the office acceptable, Cordelia turned to the guest room. Wen Ning took in the occasional homeless person, giving them a place to stay for a night or two until he could come up with something more permanent. The room held little more than a couch that pulled out into a bed, a bookshelf worth of old sci-fi, and a standalone cabinet full of clothes in a variety of sizes. 

Bracing herself, Cordelia opened the door to the guest room. The rumpled sheets weren’t so bad but she could smell the sex, Ugh, no. She did not clean up other people’s bodily fluids thank you very much. If Nissa wanted to bring people back for the night, she could at least clean up after herself. 

When she heard the doorknob rattle, Cordelia turned on her brightest smile. Have to keep the paying customers happy. Her first impression was of a cloaked figure. Her smile didn’t falter but her hopes plummeted. Experience had taught her that cloaks were rarely of the good. A second look revealed a guy who wouldn’t be too bad looking if he weren’t just standing there like a total doofus with his mouth dropped open. Probably not a client. He was acting too much like one of Wen Ning’s idiot friends. 

After a spate of Chinese from the hallway, cloaked guy stepped into the room allowing her to see Wen Ning holding up … was that Wei Wuxian? Her hopes hit bottom. Nissa’d been right. Definitely not paying customers. “Oh, it’s you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Judyth_Gibson) and [tumblr](https://thirteenthblackbird.tumblr.com/)


	7. What Fresh Hell Is This?

After they’d stepped through the demonic portal into a hallway with two doors, Jiang Cheng eyed the portal until it slid shut. Wen Ning gestured toward one of the doors. “Please open it. You turn the knob to the right and push.” Jiang Cheng grabbed the knob and pushed but the door didn’t move. Oh, right, Wen Ning had said to turn the knob. He opened the door slowly, uncertain what he’d find behind it. 

There was a woman. She smiled at him. Jiang Cheng felt as warm as if he were sitting by the river on a hot summer day. No one, not even Jin Ling, smiled at him like that. 

Of course Wei Wuxian had to ruin it. “Hey, Jiang Cheng, could you move into the room? Some of us would like to sit.” 

Jiang Cheng stepped inside just enough to allow Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian to enter. The woman’s smile dropped into a frown and Jiang Cheng’s appreciation of her rose. She was wise enough to dislike Wei Wuxian on sight. 

She spoke but in a language Jiang Cheng didn’t recognize. Wen Ning replied. Jiang Cheng didn’t understand most of it but did catch his own name. And then Wen Ning turned to him. “This is Miss Cordelia. She will care for you while I heal Wei Wuxian. We will be just across the hall.” Wen Ning nodded at the door across the hallway.

“What? No. I’m coming with you.” 

“Please. Wait here.” Wen Ning’s voice didn’t have quite the same authority his sister’s used to have but then Wei Wuxian chimed in. 

“A-Cheng, I don’t want you hovering over us while he’s healing me.” 

It was the name that stopped him. Wei Wuxian hadn’t spoken to him that familiarly in a very, very long time. “Fine, but do not try to vanish on me again.” 

Wen Ning closed the door behind them. When Jiang Cheng turned to look at Miss Cordelia, she was staring at the door. The concern was clear on her face. Had Wen Ning told her something of Wei Wuxian’s injuries? 

When she saw him watching, Miss Cordelia smiled again although not as brightly as before. Her brown hair was shorter than he was used to. It hung down only to her shoulders but there was something pleasing about the cut. He thought back to the people he’d seen that morning. Many’d had hair even shorter so perhaps it was normal here.

Jiang Cheng had a glimpse of a dark tunic before he turned his head away. Her tunic had not been closed properly. He could see her underrobe. He thought of the clothes he’d seen earlier and the shirt Wen Ning wore. Perhaps the outfit wasn’t indecent? He tested a glance and saw she was giving him the same concerned look she’d given Wen Ning, or possibly Wei Wuxian, just a moment ago. She did not seem embarrassed. 

His eyes glanced past her underrobe but he took in the rest of her outfit. Her tunic, which hung halfway down her thighs, had been dyed a very dark but vibrant shade of blue. The fabric seemed to be animal skin, suede perhaps. Her trousers, a dark gray but lighter than the tunic, seemed to be quite a fine weave. This was no mere assistant. Her clothes were too fine. Perhaps she ran Wen Ning’s household? 

She removed a cup from a cabinet, held it towards her mouth as if drinking, and then out to him. He stood there, admiring her grace, until she rolled her eyes and repeated the motion. Oh, she was offering him a drink. When he nodded, she smiled warmly and he smiled in return.

Miss Cordelia gestured towards a couch and two chairs that surrounded a short table. He decided to take the chair facing the door. If anything attacked, it would most likely enter the room that way. As he stepped forward, Jiang Cheng realized he was still wearing Wen Ning’s cloak. He undid the clasp, swept off the cloak, and then stood there uncertain where to hang it. Miss Cordelia murmured something and when he looked over he caught her blushing. He checked his clothes but didn’t notice anything out of place. She hung the cloak on the back of the door, on hooks that seemed to have been placed there just for that purpose. When she turned back towards him, she took a long look and nodded. Jiang Cheng felt oddly pleased that she approved of his outfit. 

Miss Cordelia took the seat nearest the door and handed him a cup of tea. It was the foulest brew he’d ever tasted and that included the sludge they’d drunk during the Sunshot campaign. He looked up, ready to glare, but she was smiling at him expectantly. With an inward sigh, he smiled back and nodded. She started speaking, apparently not concerned that he couldn’t understand her. He kept hold of the cup, hoping she wouldn’t notice he wasn’t drinking. 

After a bit she started miming again. She pointed at his sword, made a face and growled, and then poked her fist towards him. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Was she mimicking fighting? Did she want him to kill monsters for her? When he didn’t respond, she rolled her eyes but otherwise didn’t seem bothered. Perhaps she wanted to know how skilled he was? If she did manage Wen Ning’s household, she’d want to assess any new fighters even if they were guests. However, there didn’t seem to be a good way to explain his skill so he nodded. She didn’t seem impressed. That must have been the wrong answer. She started drumming her fingers on her leg. He glanced around the room, wishing there were a monster he could kill for her. He’d like to have her smile at him again. When she caught him looking her way, she smiled but it was so obviously a forced smile that he grimaced in return. 

The doorknob rattled. Relieved, Jiang Cheng rose to his feet. Finally Wei Wuxian was back. Maybe now they could return home. He’d had enough of demonic cultivation land. 

It wasn’t Wei Wuxian. 

The creature had once been human. How long must it have been dead for its skin to turn blue? He’d never seen fangs or horns on a human-like creature. Perhaps that was something that happened in demonic cultivation land? As he rose, he unsheathed Sandu but before he could strike, Miss Cordelia threw herself between him and the creature. 

“Get out of the way,” he shouted. She was an idiot. She had her back to the creature. Was she trying to protect him? She was about to get herself killed. How could such a foolhardy act seem so brave?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, when Jiang Chent takes off the cloak and after Cordelia turns back from hanging it up, she's totally checking him out.


End file.
